Applications for Ped Derm Certification are due to the ABD office by April 1.

This requires:

At least 2 letters attesting to Ped Derm expertise
Copy of medical license
Documentation of training/expertise (see website for specific information)
Completion of application
Payment

More information regarding requirements and application form (downloadable) can be found on the ABD website: http://www.abderm.org/subspecialties/pediatric.htm

The ABD now has posted online Candidate applications, Candidate evaluations, and Program applications, all of which will need to be completed for individuals applying for Ped Derm Board Certification (and programs that those people did their fellowships at).
The Curriculum outline for Subspecialty training in Pediatric Dermatology is also available at the same website.

Qualifications for Potential Candidates for Pediatric Dermatology Board Certification

All candidates for subspecialty certification in Pediatric Dermatology must meet the following requirements:

A. Prerequisites

1. A currently valid, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or osteopathy in the state or province of the candidate's residence in either the United States or Canada. The candidate may be denied certification if his/her license has been revoked, suspended, restricted, or surrendered in any jurisdiction - or if the candidate is subject to adverse licensure proceedings.

2. Primary certification by the American Board of Dermatology (ABD).

B. Education, Training, and Experience

1. One or more years of ACGME-approved residency training in Pediatrics followed by the requisite training and certification in Dermatology and one additional final year of fellowship training in Pediatric Dermatology;

-OR-

2. An ACGME-approved transitional year or an ACGME-approved broad-based year of residency training in emergency medicine, family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, or obstetrics and gynecology, followed by the requisite training and certification in dermatology, followed by completion of 1 additional year of fellowship training in Pediatric Dermatology during which 80% of fellowship time is spent in direct pediatric dermatology clinical activity;

-OR-

3. Special interest, experience, and expertise in Pediatric Dermatology for at least five years. This pathway will be open for only five years, commencing with the year of the first certifying examination (2004) in this subspecialty.

In the initial phase of certification in this subspecialty, qualified practicing physicians will be eligible to apply for subspecialty certification with a minimum of 5 years of clinical practice in which Pediatric Dermatology comprises at least 50% of the total practice. Publications and invited lectures in Pediatric Dermatology may also be submitted as documentation of special expertise. Individuals intending to sit for the certification examination using this pathway will be approved on a case-by-case basis upon application to the ABD. Candidates who trained in Pediatric Dermatology fellowships prior to the development of approved fellowship training programs will be permitted to sit for the certification examination after approval on a case-by-case basis upon application to the ABD.

The ABD wishes to emphasize that in the pathway described under B.2. above, sufficient education and experience in pediatrics (equivalent to six months of residency training in pediatrics) will be required during the Pediatric Dermatology fellowship. See the Pediatric Dermatology curriculum.

C. Examination

Candidates who have satisfied the above requirements are eligible to apply to the Board to take the subspecialty certification examination in Pediatric Dermatology. Candidates planning to take the subspecialty certification examination should request an application from the office of the American Board of Dermatology or download the application by clicking on the button above. The next examination will be administered on Monday, October 20, 2008 at Prometric Testing Centers around the country. The deadline for receipt of applications is April 1, 2008.

D. Appeals Process

An appeals procedure similar to that described for the certification process in Dermatology is available for candidates for subspecialty certification in Pediatric Dermatology who were declared ineligible by the Board for Pediatric Dermatology or who failed the subspecialty examination. Candidates submitting such appeals should contact the Board for additional current information.

For more information refer to the American Board of Dermatology website.

PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY FAQs:

Q: I am certified by the American Board of Pediatrics but not by the American Board of Dermatology. I have practiced Pediatric Dermatology for many years. Will I be eligible for certification in the subspecialty of Pediatric Dermatology?

A: No. All candidates taking the examination must have primary certification by the American Board of Dermatology.

Q: I am certified by the Canadian Board of Dermatology but not by the American Board of Dermatology. Will I be eligible for certification in Pediatric Dermatology via this mechanism?

A: No. All candidates taking the Pediatric Dermatology examination must be certified by the American Board of Dermatology. (This same answer also applies to dermatologists from other countries as well as DO s trained in osteopathic dermatology training programs.)

Q: I am certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, am currently a Dermatology resident, and will soon be certified by the American Board of Dermatology. Will I be required to complete a Pediatric Dermatology fellowship in order to sit for the Pediatric Dermatology examination?

A: The answer depends on what date you complete your residency training in Dermatology. The first examination in Pediatric Dermatology will be given in the late summer or fall of 2004. All individuals completing Dermatology residencies by July 2004 will be eligible via the "grandfather option" and will not be required to complete a Pediatric Dermatology fellowship, but will have to practice for 5 years prior to taking the examination (see details below). Anyone completing Dermatology residency training after July 2004 will be required to complete a Pediatric Dermatology fellowship in order to qualify for the Pediatric Dermatology examination.

The "grandfather" clause states that an individual must practice a minimum of 5 years (in which Pediatric Dermatology must comprise at least 50% of the total practice). Any individuals completing Dermatology residency by 2004 will be eligible for the Pediatric Dermatology examination without having to complete a Pediatric Dermatology fellowship. However, these candidates will not be eligible to take the Pediatric Dermatology examination until they have practiced at least 50% Pediatric Dermatology for 5 years.

Examples:

You complete Dermatology residency training June 30, 2002. You will be eligible to take the Pediatric Dermatology examination at the first opportunity after June 30, 2007 (after 5 years of practice) without having to complete a Pediatric Dermatology fellowship.

You complete Dermatology residency training June 30, 2004. You will be eligible to take the Pediatric Dermatology examination at the first opportunity after June 30, 2009 (after 5 years of practice) without having to complete the required Pediatric Dermatology fellowship.

You complete Dermatology residency training in 2005. You will be eligible to take the Pediatric Dermatology examination at the first opportunity after having completed the required Pediatric Dermatology fellowship training.

Q: Will the Pediatric Dermatology examination be given every year?

A: No. Because the number of eligible candidates anticipated for the examination is small, it is likely that the Pediatric Dermatology examination will be given every other year (beginning with the first examination in 2004), or possibly every third year.

Q: Will I have to travel to a specific site to take the exam?

A: As currently envisioned, this examination will be given at commercial test centers which are found in most large cities. We do not anticipate that it will be necessary to travel to one city in the United States (such as Chicago) to take the examination.

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